FULL SPEED AHEAD:
MAINE TRAIN FESTIVAL
Harbor Theater Celebrates Maine’s Railroad Heritage with “Full Speed Ahead” Festival
Harbor Theater is joining nonprofits and cinemas across Maine for Full Speed Ahead, a statewide festival celebrating railroad history with movies and live events in honor of National Train Day (May 10). Locally, Harbor Theater is partnering with Boothbay Railway Village Museum to present three free films and related activities:
Friday, May 9, Noon: Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) – A special free screening for Pre-K to 1st graders, with train-themed goodies from Amtrak.
Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m.: The Train (1964) – A WWII action-thriller starring Burt Lancaster, followed by a reception at the Railway Village with Maine’s historic “Merci Train” boxcar.
Sunday, May 11, 6 p.m.: Union Pacific (1939) – A classic Cecil B. DeMille Western epic, featuring trivia and raffle prizes.
All activities are free and open to the public, with some events requesting reservations. For more festival details, visit www.mainetrainfest.com.
FRIDAY, MAY 9 | 12:00 P.M.
FREE FILM!
THOMAS AND THE
MAGIC RAILROAD (2000)
G | 1 hour, 29 minutes
All aboard for a special family event! Kids attending the movie will receive free train stickers and activity books, courtesy of Amtrak.
Thomas the Tank Engine, the most beloved character from British author Wilbert Awdry’s The Railway Series—first published 80 years ago—comes to life on the big screen in his only feature film, Thomas and the Magic Railroad. A whimsical blend of live-action and stop-motion animation, the movie captures the nostalgic charm that has made Thomas a childhood favorite for generations.
A lifelong railway enthusiast, Awdry based many of his stories on real events, with engine characters modeled after actual locomotive classes and railways inspired by historic British lines. Join us for this magical, train-filled adventure that's sure to delight fans of all ages!
SATURDAY, MAY 10 | 2:00 P.M.
FREE FILM!
THE TRAIN (1964)
NR | 2 hours, 13 minutes
Join us for a special screening of John Frankenheimer’s gripping WWII action-thriller, The Train, starring Burt Lancaster. Based on the true story documented by Rose Valland (played by Suzanne Flon), the film follows French Resistance fighters as they risk everything to stop a German officer (Paul Scofield) from transporting a trainload of priceless looted French art to Berlin.
Blending high-stakes suspense with moral complexity, The Train is known for its raw, documentary-like authenticity—no CGI here. Every action scene was filmed with real trains, and Lancaster performed his own stunts! Many of the boxcars shown resemble the French "Merci Train" cars, including the one housed at Boothbay Railway Village Museum, historically known as "40 & 8" cars (for carrying 40 men or eight horses).
Following the movie, head over to the Boothbay Railway Village for a special reception with Maine’s very own Merci boxcar. Admission to the reception is free, but reservations are requested: Reserve your spot here.
Come celebrate history, heroism, and the power of preservation with us!
SUNDAY, MAY 11 | 6:00 P.M.
FREE FILM!
UNION PACIFIC (1939)
NR | 2 hours, 15 minutes
Join us for the grand finale of our Full Speed Ahead festival with a free screening of the sweeping Western epic Union Pacific, directed by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille.
Set against the backdrop of the race to complete America’s first Transcontinental Railroad, the film follows railroad troubleshooter Jeff Butler (Joel McCrea) as he battles sabotage, greed, and corruption. Along the way, he finds both love and rivalry with the locomotive engineer’s spirited daughter (Barbara Stanwyck) and a former friend turned adversary (Robert Preston).
With its thrilling action, grand historical scale, and DeMille’s trademark spectacle, Union Pacific stands as a shining example of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Fun fact: although the first Cannes Film Festival was canceled in 1939 due to World War II, Union Pacific was later awarded the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, in 2002!
Stick around after the film for trivia, raffle prizes, and a celebration of the power and romance of the rails.